Improvement in wrenches



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A. M. oLns7 or NEW YORK, N. Y., AssreNoE To HIMsELE AND ALBERT MANvEL,or ELIZABETHPOETMN. J.

IMPROVEMENT iN WRENCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 56,147, dated July 3,1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, A. M. OLD's, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented a new and ImprovedScrew-Wrench; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which- Figure l represents a vertical section ofthis invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention consists in the arrangement of a spring-tooth bearing atone end against a shoulder of the movable jaw of a screwwrench and atthe opposite end against the shank of said wrench in such a manner thatif an attempt is made to slide the movable jaw down said spring-toothcatches firmly between its bearing-points and the j aw is locked 5 butin moving said jaw toward the stationaryT jaw the spring-tooth isreleased and permitsv this motion without obstruction.

It consists, also, in combining with the springtooth a mortise in theedge of the shank of the wrench in such a manner that a guide isobtained for said tooth, and `that the leverage of the tooth isincreased.

A represents the stationary jaw of a screwwrench, which is rigidlyconnected or made solid with the shank B. This shank forms the guide forthe movable jaw C, which is held in position by a tooth, D. This toothbears with one end against a shoulder, a, at the under side of themovable jaw, and with its other end it bears against the edge of theshank B or against the bottom surface of a mortise, b, which is made inthe shank, and which forms a guide for the tooth, and also serves to inicrease the gripe of the same. A spring, c, holds said tooth in theposition shown in Fig. l, and if an attempt is made to move the jaw Cdown or away from the jaw A the inner end of the tooth D bites in theedge ofthe shank and prevents the motion, but in moving the jaw C towardthe jaw A the tooth D is released and offers no obstruction. From thetooth D eX- tends a handle, d, (see Fig. 2,) and by pressing this handleoil' from the bottom edge of the jaw G the tooth is released and the jawis free to move in either direction.

By this arrangement a very simple and effective screw-wrench is obtainedwhich can be readily adjusted to nuts or other articles of any desiredsize and shape, and which takes a iirm hold of said articles and is notliable to slip. All its parts, with the exception of the spring, can becast of malleable iron, it requires no fitting and very little labor,and it can therefore be produced ata low price.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. So combining and arranging the springtooth D, jaw G, and shank B thatthe tooth will gripe or bind against the bottom of the mortise of theshank and retain the said tooth in position without serrations in theshank substantially as described.

2. The mortise b, in combination with the shank B, spring-tooth D, andjaw C, constrncted and operating substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 2d-day ofJanuary, 1865.

A. M. OLDS.

Vitnesses M. M. Lrv'rNGs'roNE, W. HAUEE.

